Bridge Day is West Virginia's largest one-day festival celebrated on
the third Saturday in October. This year the festival will be held on
October 21st. It commemorates the October 1977 completion of the New
River Gorge Bridge and was first celebrated in 1980. Bridge Day is
one of the top 100 festivals in North America! The bridge span
arches across the New River, the world's second oldest river,
considered to be some of America's Best Whitewater. Get the whole
family on a rafting trip! We recommend booking a trip with Drift-a-Bit.

BASE Jumping:Base jumpers will gladly accommodate that request
on Bridge Day, their annual convention. Base stands for building,
antenna, span, earth-the fixed objects from which these men and women
leap. Since it's only a few seconds from bridge rail to splash down,
jumping requires a well-orchestrated team of water-safety,
communications and emergency personnel.

Rappelling:Beneath the bridge's unseen catwalk dangle expert
rappellers who resemble so many spiders weaving a web. The Bridge Day
trolls practice well-honed skills with their breath-taking gorge as
their backdrop. "Passages to Adventure" owner Benjy Simpson oversees
rappellers who execute rescue operations in the Gorge if necessary.

Transportation Available:Throughout the day, buses will run in
a circuit from the Comfort Inn and Fayetteville High School on Laurel
Creek Rd. and from in front of the Courthouse and town park in
Fayetteville to the Vendor Area for only $1. You cannot get any closer
to the bridge than on the bus.

Parking and What NOT to bring:Handicapped parking is available
near the south and north ends of the bridge and near Keller Avenue.
We ask that you leave your dogs at home unless they are used for
special assistance and if you ride a bike we ask that you check it at
our free check tents on the north or south side. No skate boards are
permitted.

Festival Foods/Vendors/Shopping:No Mountain State festival
would be worth its funnel cakes without a sumptuous line of candied
apples, corn dogs, fries, popcorn, steaks, deli, barbecue sandwiches,
lemonade, roasted peanuts, apple butter, molasses, honey, potatoes,
handmade ice cream and more -- the Bridge Festival vendors off all of
these. West Virginia home-made and homegrown products may be found at
many of the vendors, so be prepared to partake in the feeding frenzy.

Keep It Clean:Vendors are required to have trash cans and the
state provides many more, but you are responsible for trash. Please,
clean up your mess so it doesn't litter the National Park and so it
will remain beautiful for many years to come.

Where you can Eat other than the Festival:In Fayetteville try
Bazils or Cathedral Cafe' or the Mountain Laurel Restaurant for
home-cooked goodness. The Sedona Grille specializes in southwestern
fare. New this year is Poco's Tacos located beside Whitewater
Photography. There's also the Sunset Grill located on Rt. 16. You may
want to try Dirty Ernie's for a barbecue. Gino's serves tasty Italian
fare, or Fat Tire Deli. Off the beaten track are Smokey's, at Class
VI, tops in smoked meats and gourmet specialties. In Oak Hill you will
find dining choices at the numerous fast food restaurants.